Pros

Affordable.
Connects via Wi-Fi.
Works with more than 100 third-party apps.
Supports up to eight users.

Cons

Lacks advanced metrics.
App is a bit cluttered.

Bottom Line

The Nokia Body is an affordable, attractive smart scale that sends basic information on your daily weigh-in to your phone over Wi-Fi.

9 Nov 2017Victoria Song

The Nokia Body Smart Scale ($59.95) delivers the basics in elegant, affordable package. While you don't get metrics like heart rate or detailed breakdowns of your body composition like you do with pricier models, it does record your weight and BMI. And with Wi-Fi connectivity, it sends that information straight to your phone no matter where it is, without being constrained by Bluetooth's limited range. At around half the price of most smart bathroom scales on the market, the Nokia Body Smart is a great deal, as long as you're happy with the level of information it provides.

Subtle and Sleek

The Nokia Body Smart has an understated yet sleek look that should fit the decor of most bathrooms or bedrooms. It has a square body that measures 12.8 inches on each side and just under an inch high. The Fitbit Aria is slightly smaller at 12.3 inches on each side, while the circular QardioBase 2 has a 13.4-inch diameter. The top of the scale is made of tempered glass, and houses a rectangular 1.6-by-2.4-inch (HW) monochrome screen that displays your weight, BMI, and the weather. At the bottom is a small Nokia logo. I tested the black version, but it also comes in white.

The scale is powered by four AAA batteries, which come preinstalled. On the bottom you'll find four raised feet, and Nokia includes four attachments to keep it from sliding around if you want to use it in a room with carpeting.

The scale can differentiate between eight separate users, and handle weights up to 396 pounds. It's also capable of displaying weight in kilograms and stone, and can store up to 16 readings on-device. For connectivity, it supports Bluetooth and 802.11bgn. That's a refreshing change from most scales in this price range, which only support Bluetooth. Wi-Fi allows the Body Smart to communicate with your phone no matter where you are, not just when you're in Bluetooth range. It's also compatible with over 100 apps, including fitness apps like Daily Burn, Lose It!, MyFitnessPal, Runkeeper, and Weight Watchers, as well as smart home apps like If This Then That (IFTTT).

Setting up the Body Smart is simple. All you have to do is download the Nokia Health Mate App for Android or iOS and it will walk you through the pairing process. Basically you flip the scale over, remove the tab from the battery compartment, and hold down the pairing button.

Just the Basics

Of Nokia's smart scales, the Body Smart is the simplest. It doesn't give full body composition breakdowns like the Nokia Body+ or the Nokia Body Cardio. The Body+ is $30 more, and adds a wide range of metrics such as body fat, water percentage, muscle mass, and bone mass. The Body Cardio gives you data on arterial health in addition to body composition, but it costs three times the price.

I used the Nokia Body Smart over the course of a week. By and large, it functions similarly to a regular scale: You step on it, and it measures your weight. To get the most accurate reading, you'll see arrows in the corners of the display. This tells you where to redistribute your weight so that you are ideally centered. After you've stepped on the scale eight times, you'll see a nifty graph on its screen showing your progress. You also get your BMI, and a visual on whether you fall in the "normal" range. Lastly, you get a view of the high and low temperature where you live.

The Nokia Health Mate app offers a more detailed look at your overall progress. Like the scale, the app has a clean look. There's lots of white space, colorfully minimalistic charts, and sleek sans serif font. You can tab through five main screens: Timeline, Dashboard, Programs, Devices, and Profile.

The Profile screen is where you can input your personal data, create family member profiles, link third-party apps, and set goals and reminders. Scrolling through Timeline shows how you've done in terms of daily steps, weight, activity, and achievement badges. There's also tips on how best to use the scale. Likewise, the Dashboard will give you a more concise look at the current day's metrics, which you can edit using the pencil and plus icons in the upper right corner. The Devices screen is where you can connect Nokia's other smart gadgets (in this case, probably a fitness tracker). These screens are fairly simple to navigate, though some can feel a little cluttered despite the clean design.

The Programs screen is where you can pick from a number of wellness plans. You can select from a few choices ranging from sleeping more consistently, to getting heart healthy. It should be noted that these programs are somewhat device-dependent. For instance, although you can select the Sleep Smarter program, it requires one of Nokia's (formerly Withings) trackers.

Comparisons and Conclusions

The Nokia Body Smart Scale trades advanced metrics for affordability. And for many people, that's probably worth it. Unless you're training, or are an avid self-quantifier, you don't really need your scale to tell you every facet of your body composition, like muscle mass, bone density, or water makeup. But if you do want that level of granularity, there's plenty of options like the Fitbit Aria and QardioBase 2.

There are also cheaper options out there, like the Health o Meter Nuyu Wireless Scale. But the Nuyu is Bluetooth-only and has issues with slow syncing. The Nokia Body Smart delivers all the basics in a pleasing form factor, for a refreshingly affordable price. If simplicity is what you're after, the Body Smart is worth a look.

About the Author

Victoria Song is an analyst on the Hardware team at PCMag. Since graduating from Temple University’s Japan Campus in 2010, she's been found reporting and editing in every corner of the newsroom at The ACCJ Journal, The Japan News, and New York bureau of The Yomiuri Shimbun. In her spare time, she bankrupts herself going to theater, buying expansions to board games, and cleaning out the stacks at The Strand. Someday, she hopes Liverpool FC will win the league, but she isn’t holding her breath.